Metal testing



Patented Dec. 3, 1940 PATENT OFFICE METAL TEs'fiNG Wilbert F. Davis, Wilson, Pa.

No Drawing. Application November 7, 1938,

' Serial No. 239,409

2 Claims.

, This invention relates in general to metal testing, but it is particularly concerned with determining whether a piece of metal has a piped end.

In the production of rolled metal products, a solidified ingot is broughtto proper temperature and is rolled into a bloom or billet. This rolled piece is subsequently sheared to remove the portion produced from the ingot top when this contains pipe. It is customary to then examine the sheared end to determine whether any pipe is left in the remainder of the piece. This exaini nation therefore has been uncertain in results.

' According to the present invention, some of the sheared metal is removed from the sheared end of the billet or bloom to expose its internal structure. This must be done in such a way as to prevent sound and, therefore, ductile metal being dragged over the part to be examined, this being done by removing the metal through the application of heat. To do this, a metal-cutting flame, such as is commonly used around steel mills and the like, is applied to the sheared end of the bloom or billet, the flame being moved in the direction the end was sheared from one extreme of the end to an oppositeextreme. The flame is positioned to impinge the end at an angle respecting the plane of the same and is manipulated to scarf or groove the endv between so the mentlonedextremes. Preferably, the flame is moved from the top to the bottom of the rolled piece.

When the bloom or billet essary to, use a massive device which usually can- 3:, not produce a clean cut, the sound surface metal being dragged over the end of the piece so that the usual observations do not provide a true indication as to whether the end contains pipe. In the case of the present-invention, this surface 0 metal is melted or cut away so that subsequent examination will reveal pipe if it is present. Furthermore, the heat of .the flame, being, suflicient to melt metal, causes the fusing of a disproportionate amount of the non-metallic ele- 45 ments normally associated with a pipe and which have lower melting temperatures than metal,

this causing a hole or cavity to appear, assuming there is pipe. Since the flame'cuts a smoothis sheared, it is necsurfaced scarf through the sound metal, such a cavity or hole is quite noticeable.

During the application of the flame, thenormally white color of'the flame provides a background in which the defective areas appear as dark spots which may vary in color. from reddish to bluish. Thus, the .torch operator is immediately able to detect pipe. These effects are visible when the piece being tested is either cold or red hot. 10

If rolling troubles are experienced because of.

- the scarf resulting from the practice of this invention, the. end of the bloom or billet may be squared by further use of the cutting flame. This practice may be necessary if an extra deep scarf 1 is made or if a number of scarfs are made in the interest of making an absolutely positive check on the internal condition of the metal.

Obviously, the principles of this invention are applicable to any piece of metal having a sheared 20 end suspected of containing pipe, but it is particularly adapted to the testing of steel ingots, blooms, billets, etc. Normally the test should be made during the early rolling of the metal, whereby to prevent useless work being done on 25 unsound metalwhich will ultimately have to be discarded. With this in mind, the test may be applied to the ingot itself if its top "has been sheared. v

I claim: I l 3 1. A method of testing a sheared end of a steel bloom or billet to determine whether it is piped, the method being characterized by burning some of the sheared metal from said end by means of a metal cutting flame so as to develop the internal structure of said end and inspecting of' the burned area.

2. A method of testing a sheared end of a steel bloom or billet to determine whether it is piped, the method being characterized by burning some of the sheared metal from said end by means of a metal cutting flame so as to develop the internal structure of said end and inspecting of the burned area, said flame being worked to impinge said end at an angle and being moved across said end from one extreme to the other in the direction said end was sheared.

- WILBERT F. DAVIS. 

